Sunday, June 26, 2005

Jesse McKinley's Sunday A&L piece on Hal Prince does provide interesting opportunity for reflection, on the changes in what a Broadway producer does. I certainly agree that the great "creative producers" of the past did some good for the American (commercial) theatre. But does Columbia University really need to feel responsible for endowing a program devoted to this?

...Mr. Prince has now teamed with Columbia University to establish a fellowshipprogram devoted to developing those "creative producers." The program...willgive student producers the chance to develop shows from scratch, culminating ina presentation before potential investors.

How about providing funds for writers and/or directiors to create the work in the first place? The new Republican culture ministers at NEA & PBS should be happy that learning how to kiss up to "investors" is part of the new arts curriculum.

Also of note in the article--some growing frankness about how non-profits are increasingly responsible for developing the prize products of the commercial theatre.

Posted by
G. Playgoer

1 comment:

Dr. Cashmere
said...

So artists are pitching their own projects and controlling their own creative destinies? Without first running everything by the moneyed dingbats?

And this is the situation Columbia thinks needs to be rectified?

Isn't this the same university that just canned its arts journalism program?